Individual bout: first to 5 touches (3-minute time limit; if tied, 1-minute sudden-death OT); Team bout (regular-season dual relay format): 9 bouts × 5 touches each, accumulating to 45 (or until time limit); the NCAA Championship uses a different round-robin structure — see Section 6, Scoring
Why people argue about this
People often assume that the bout format in NCAA fencing is strictly team relays of 9 bouts each, forgetting that individual bouts within a 3-minute limit are also an option for both singles matches. This oversight leads to confusion about which format is used and how it impacts game strategy and execution.
